Drinking cup



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. W. REYNOLDS DRINKING CUP BY yn'm' rN/M @2| Nov. 27, 1962 Filed March 9, 1959 Nov. 27, 1962 w. REYNOLDS DRINKING CUP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9, 1959 FIG. 6

FIG. 5

INVENTOR. LLOYD W. REYNOLDS BY wzyv' af L United States Patent O 3,665,696 DKING CUP Lloyd W. Reynolds, 5l9 N. 87th St., Omaha, Nebr. Filed Mar. 9, 1959, Ser. No. 797,965 3 Claims. (Cl. 62-1) This invention relates to drinking cups and more especially to disposable drinking cups and it is an object of this invention to provide a drinking cup of more economical construction than heretofore available.

In serving of many beverages, such as root beer, coke, fruit drinks, etc., there is a great cost in the washing of the mugs and glasses and subsequent sterilizing and cooling before re-use, the cost becoming greater each year.

Also the original cost and replacement of mugs and glasses lost in breakage and by theft for serving of many beverages is becoming ever more expensive.

These factors have been recognized by others and as a result the use of cups made of paper lined with ice has been proposed heretofore. However, for some reason it has never been popularly promoted or accepted.

It is my belief that the chief reason that this type of cup did not attain popularity was because it was extremely cold to hold in the hands. The paper, being thin, allowed the ice to draw heat away from the hands very rapidly to the end that the hand could be chilled to the bone in a short time.

Being in a drive-in business, I had given this problem much thought over the years and iinally conceived of a practical solution. My conception is to surround the ice cup, partially or completely, with a jacket of very porous insulating material, preferably paper pulp.

The paper pulp is sufficiently cheap to permit of its being thrown away. This alone does not solve the problem, however, because paper pulp in contact with melting ice merely soaks up and disintegrates falling apart like a liquid papier-mch mulch.

My second conception was in the use of a plastic jacket in combination with the paper pulp, the bag being used as a liner between the paper pulp and the ice to prevent the paper pulp from disintegrating. However, a disadvantage of paper pulp is its opaque nature. Part of the pleasure of purchasing and drinking carbonated beverages is watching the bubbles rise. But paper pulp is opaque and blocks the bubbles from view.

This problem of visibility I have solved through my further concept of having the clear plastic and ice project above the insulating outer paper pulp cover permitting visibility of the bubbling beverage over the top of the paper pulp and through the upwardly projecting plastic and ice.

My concept of a window through the paper pulp cover gives still further visibility of the bubbling beverage through the layers of clear plastic and clear ice for further appreciation of the beauty of the bubbling action.

Dilution of beverages from melting ice was `a further problem as it makes a beverage weak and tasteless. This is an especially important problem with beverages like beer, malted milk, ice cream sodas, milk and chocolate milk. Purchasers and consumers of Coca-Cola, fruit flavored drinks, highballs, cocktails etc., expect and nearly always request that ice be added to keep these drinks cold for a longer period, and would not object to a `small amount of dilution from the wall of ice within the cup. However, as many as one-tenth of the cold beverage customers, excepting root beer customers, who almost always consume the drink without ice, ask that no ice be added, whereby my cup would be ideal in keeping the `drink cold and at the same time, sparing the customer the trouble of separating the drink from the ice. As menice tioned above, root beer is nearly always dispensed without ice with a head of foam on it for appearances and a small amount of dilution would not detract from the flavor or appearance.

My concept of a waterproof inner lining of plastic on the inner side of the layer of ice solves this dilution problem. As mentioned before, beer, malted milks, ice cream sodas, milk and chocolate milk etc., would not be readily accepted and enjoyed if the ice of the inner wall of the cup would melt and dilute these drinks.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, drawings and claims, the scope of the invention not being limited to the drawings themselves as the drawings are only for the purpose of illustrating a way in which the principles iof this invention can be applied.

Other embodiments of the invention utilizing the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side elevational View of the drinking cup of this invention showing the beverage contained therein visible through a window opening formed in the wall of the outer insulating cup and plastic sheathed inner ice cup;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cup taken along the line 2 2 of FIGURE l;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of only the outer insulating cup portion showing one method of coating the interior of the outer cup with a waterproofing material by pressure spray means;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the insulating outer cup of FIG. 3 after the intermediate ice cup and the waterproof liner therefor has been formed therein;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the ydrinking cup of this invention formed with spaced annular depressions in the exterior wall thereof;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cup of FIG. 5 taken along the line 6-6;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a modiiied form of the invention formed with spaced vertically elongated openings in the exterior wall thereof;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical cross-sectional View of the cup of FIGURE 7 taken along the line 8 8 of FIG- URE 7; and

FIG. 9 is a modified form of only the outer insulating cup wherein the waterprooling material is mixed with the material forming the cup to provide resistance to water throughout.

The drinking cup of this invention can be seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 and comprises an outer cup 12 of a very porous insulating material. It is preferred that this paper be of a paper pulp off approximately 1/16" thickness. Expressed in another way, this should be of a thickness suicient to protect the hands from substantial discomfort during normal use of a cup when lined with ice.

The ice lining is a refrigerating layer of ice which lines the interior of the outer cup 12 and is complementarily shaped with respect to and forms a lining for at least a substantial part of, and preferably all of, the interior of `the outer insulating cup 12, the layer of ice 14 being itself cup shaped for leaving the interior of the total cup substantially open,` as best seen at 16, `for receiving beverage 2.0 as is shown in FIGURE 1.

A layer of water-proofing material 2.2 is disposed between the refrigerating layer 14 and insulating outer cup 12.

The refrigerating layer of ice 14 preferably projects beyond the outer insulating cup 12 beyond the upper 3 e nd of the outer insulating cup i2, which latter projects beyond the outer insulating layer l2, which latter terminates at 24, whereby a portion indicated 4by the bracket 26 of the ice layer 14 is not covered 'by the outer insulating cup 12 so that beverage in the interior 16 can be seen through the ice at 26,

It is preferable that the Water prooiing layer 22 also project beyond the outer layer 12 co-extensive with the ice layer 14, the water proof layer 22 preferably being clear and transparent so as to permit visibility of the beverage and attractive bubbles therein.

It will be seen that the paper pulp cup 12 is formed of a very porous insulating material characterized by its disintegration when in substantial contact with water during the period of one use of a cup. It is for this reason that the water proofing layer 22 is important.

The water proofing layer 22 can be formed of a sheet plastic material or it can be a sprayed-on coating of water proong material of a plastic. It -Will be further seen that some kinds of bonding material can be mixed with the paper pulp in the outer cup 12 so as to Water proof the pulp, which is a yiirst component, sufficiently that the bonding material, which is a second component, causes the paper pulp cup l2 to be able to withstand a period of one use of the cup in contact with the ice layer 14 without substantial disintegration even though `the ice layer is'heated by the users hands and also by high summer outdoor temperatur-es. The thickness of the outer cup 12, expressed in another way, is VWhatever is found sutiicient to protect the hands from substantial discomfort during normal use of the cup.

Referring to FIG. 3, We find there shown a method for applying plastic coating 22 to the inner side of a paper pulp outer jacket 12. The method comprises spraying the coating 22 on in liquid form by introducing it through a pipe 40 having openings 42 therein whereby the liquid, as indicated by arrow 44 goes out to coat the interior of the cup. v Referring to FIG. 4 We there see a cup which has an outer paper pulp jacket 12 of substantially cup shape, a sprayed on plastic layer 22 and an ice layer 14, and a cup shaped inner lining of plastic which is given the numeral i) and which lines the inner side of the ice 14 to prevent its dilution from weakening the content of a beverage disposed in the interior 'i6 of the cup.

As best seen at 52 the upper end of the plastic liner 50 extends across the top of the ice to ltouch its outer plastic coating 22. For this purpose the inner surface of the upper edge of the ice is curved outwardly, as best seen at 54. The inner plastic liner 50 curves over this curved inner upper edge of the ice to touch the outer plastic coating 22.

It will be seen that the inner liner Sti can be joined in waterproof manner to the outer plastic coating 22 at this touching.

It will also he seen that the outer plastic coating 22 of FIG. 4 can be a cup-shaped plastic protective liner for the pulp jacket 12 made of sheet plastic rather than sprayed on plastic, if desired.

FIGURES 5 and 6 show a further modification of the cup in which an ice layer 60 of cup shape is provided with a plastic outer jacket or protective cover 62 which latter is preferably formed of molded plastic lbut also may be formed of sprayed on plastic.

In the modification of FIGURES 5 and 6 we see that the outer surface of the ice layer 60 is provided with protrusions or in another sense is considerably rough and the protrusions are preferably in the form of rings 64 which latter project outwardly on all sides of the ice layer 60.

The outer liner 62 is complementally shaped with respect to the ice layer 60 and has indentations 66 on its inner side opposite and disposed against each protruding ring 64 of the ice layer.

The rings or protrusions 64 are preferably suiiicient to prevent the ice from being squeezed upwardly out of the outer plastic jacket or liner 62 at times when the ice has melted and there is danger of this happening.

In the modication of FIG. 6, 4an inner liner 68 of plastic can be provided as in my other modifications for preventing dilution of beverages in the hollow interior 7d of the cup.

The upper .edge of the ice layer 6i? is preferably curved outwardly, as best seen at 8d, and the plastic inner liner 68 preferably also curves outwardly, as best seen at 82, over the top of the curved area 86 of the ice so as to tend to hold the liner 68 in place and from falling do-Wnwardly.

Referring to FIGURES 7 and 8 we there see a paper pulp body member or jacket ti' which is of cup shape except for the presence of large windows 92 therethrough.

A layer of ice 94 is Iformed on the inside of the jacket 9d parts of the ice protruding outwardly through the Windows 92 as best seen at 96 as holds the ice rmly in place.

It is preferred that a plastic outer liner 98 or sheet plastic formed in the shape of a cup be disposed over and tightly iit against the outer side of the paper pulp jacket 9i).

The outer liner 98 can be colored to give the cup an attractive appearance when a white pulp jacket is used, 4and can also have advertising printed upon its outer surface.

Referring to FIGURE 9, we see there a modified paper pulp jacket 38 which is provided with a rst component, paper pulp 9), and a second component, a suitable binder or bonding material 92 which is mixed with the pulp and `waterproofs the pulp 90 sufficiently so that the resultant jacket 98 can -withstand a period of one use of the cup in contact with an ice layer, not shown, without substantial disintegration even though the ice layer is heated by the users hands and also by high summer temperatures.

It will be seen ythat the invention is a cup having an open top not substantially smaller than a horizontal crosssection of the mid portion of the open interior of the cup so as to function as a drinking cup.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that a drinking cup constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use, by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice, except as claimed.

I claim:

l. A drinking cup comprising an outer cup of a very porous insulating material characterized by its substantial and partial disintegration 'when in substantial contact with Water during a period of one use of the cup, a refrigerating layer of ice lining and complementally shaped with respect to a substantial part of said outer insulating cup and leaving the interior of said cup substantially open for receiving beverage, and a layer of waterproofing material disposed between said refrigerating layer and said insulating outer cup, said layer of Waterprooiing material being a coating bonded to said outer cup, said cup having side walls which are substantially cylindrical in shape whereby it is possible to drink from said cup in a ynormal manner, and means to prevent the inadvertent separation of said layer of waterproofing material from said refrigerating layer of ice.

2. A drinking cup comprising an outer cup of an insulating material, -a refrigerating layer of ice lining and complementally shaped with respect to and lining a substantial part of the interior of said outer insulating cup and leaving the interior or" said cup substantially open for receiving beverage, said insulating material being characterized by having a iirst component which suffers substantial and partial disintegration when in substantial contact with water during a period of one use and having a second component intermixed with said first component and waterproong said rst component suiciently that said insulating material will withstand a period of one use of the cup in contact with said ice layer when heated by theI users hands and normal summer high outdoor temperatures without substantial disintegration, said cup having side w-alls which are substantially cylindrical in shape whereby it is possible to drink from said cup in a normal manner, and means to` prevent the inadvertent separation of said outer cup from said refrigerating layer of ice.

3. A drinking cup comprising an outer cup of a very porous insulating material, a refrigerating layer of ice complementally shaped with respect to and lining a substantial part of the interior of said outer insulating cup and leaving the interior of said cup substantially open for receiving beverage, and a layer of waterproofing material disposed between said refrigerating layer and said insulating outer cup, and in which said outer cup has a window opening through a side thereof for visibility of the -bubbles of liquid in the cup and said layer of waterproofing material being transparent at said window opening, said cup having side walls which are substantially cylindrical in shape whereby it is possible to drink from said cup in a normal manner, and means to prevent the inadvertent separation of said outer cup from said refrigerating layer of ice.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,123,537 Huizer Jan. 5, 1915 2,091,723 Sterino Aug. 3l, 1937 2,622,415 Landers et al Dec. 23, 1952 

